Sandy stars on stage as . . . herself
For many of the audience at
North Canterbury Musical’s production of Annie, the star of the show will be the lovable dog Annie rescues from the dog catcher.
And as the dog has to respond on stage to the command, ‘‘Sandy, come,’’ it was a bonus when the dog chosen to play this crucial role answers to Sandy in real life.
Sandy, an 8-year-old mixed breed containing some huntaway, labrador, german shepherd and staffordshire bull terrier, is the family dog of two of the cast members, Elizabeth de Lima and her father, Steve, who both sing various roles as part of the ensemble. When the cast were asked if anyone knew of a suitable dog, Elizabeth volunteered Sandy, who quickly proved she had the right temperament for the stage. ‘‘She’s a very relaxed and friendly dog,’’ Steve said.
Already obedient and easy to train, the hardest thing Sandy had to learn for her role was how to ignore commands she would normally answer. ‘‘Annie calls her three times but Sandy has to ignore the first two and only come on the third one,’’ Elizabeth said.
This was achieved with a mixture of hand signals and a change in the actor’s tone of voice to give Sandy her cue.
At home on her Eyrewell Forest lifestyle block, Sandy spends her time protecting the chickens from marauding hawks, but in the theatre, when she is not on stage enjoying the limelight, she is content to rest on her special bed, looked after by a handler when her owners are both on stage. As ensemble members, they are both playing several small roles. While Steve says he is doing the ‘‘bits that didn’t need any previous experience’’, Elizabeth is playing four roles including one of the Boylan Sisters who sing the catchy song You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.
Annie is the story of a courageous orphan who believes her parents are still alive and will come to claim her from Miss
Hannigan’s orphanage. When billionaire Oliver Warbucks offers to adopt her, she asks him to help her find her parents, but his offer of a huge reward is too tempting for Miss Hannigan and the con artists Rooster and Lily, who hatch a plot to kidnap Annie and collect the reward.
❚ Annie will run in the Rangiora Town Hall from May 12 to May 28. Tickets are on sale through iticket.co. nz as well as over the counter at Kaiapoi iSite and Stan’s Pharmacy in Rangiora.